During our first week of media, we learnt that it

is crucial to be able to analyse images, as media

studies is largely made up of this. To develop our

ability to read and understand images, we analyzed

many in detail, as a class, using vital keywords

such as denotation, connotation and mise-en-scene.

This was one of the ones I thought expressed a lot

of meaning…

The denotation of this image

is a young girl jumping with

her arms and legs stretched

out. She is in a clear field

with trees in the background.

The sky is bright blue with a

lot of clouds. This mise-en-

scene result in many

connotations: Her age and

gender suggest innocence and

femininity. The jumping shows

that she is happy and very

excited, bringing a lively

atmosphere. Her costume of a

white t-shirt, under jeans

dungarees and white shoes and

socks adds to the childish

feel and compliments her age

and gender. The green grass

and blue sky makes the image look natural and genuine. It

both takes up half the image, and are light and soft

colours, again, give a sense of clarity and warmth;

specifically the sky, which matches the colour of the

dungaree. The white clouds are bold, and look as though they

are being separated by the girls’ arms. Of course, that’s

not the case; however it could portray her excitement. The

lighting is natural, which again, compliments the nature in

this image, giving it a high level of realism. The camera

shot of this image is long shot. This draws attention to the

girl, especially because she is

in the middle.

In contrast to the youthful and

simple image above, this is a

striking magazine ad for a

perfume. The denotation in this

image is a half naked woman,

looking at back at the mirror

with her body faces towards us.

She is wearing a bra and knickers

that are hidden in this shot. Her

lack of clothes reveals sexual

tension, which complements the

desire shown through her facial

expression and the word ‘Addict’

written in red. The colour red is

eye-catching and is typically

related with sex. Her body and

her hair is wet which suggests

that she has just came out of the shower. This, again, gives

a sexual atmosphere and most probably excites the reader...

The colours are bold and contrasting, making the image seem

more appealing. They aren’t as soft as the other one, which

suggests that this image could imply immorality, which

attracts an older audience.

This is a mid-shot camera angle, and the focus is put on her

boobs. This is, again, clearly meant to attract an older

audience.